Miracle
by Emerald
Summary: A Christmas Miracle can change everything.


Sparks of destiny can touch the world--the remarkable happening in an instant. Telling of time belongs to those that can wield the power, happiness and strength are given of love. Faith in healing magic can turn the hearts of even those of lost battles. With the right touch, against the beat of time, miracles grace those of true fate.

* * *

It was over. Her heart pounded with pain and anguish when she realized that his life was an hourglass and the grains were falling quickly. The machine, the one that was tied to his life, drummed with the pace that she's begun to tune out with accustomation. As she looked to the numbers on the screen, she quickly checked the rhythm and signals; they were the same.

"Oh, Ethan…," she sighed. His hand, still in hers, lay there just as it had for the many days she was by his side, begging and praying for him to wake up. "I'm sorry I failed you." Theresa pinched the corners of her eyes and let another wave of tears come. Her body shook with grief as the sobs racked her soul. The guilt she felt was weighting against the feeling of failure within her heart. After her fleeting attempt to save his life by kidnapping him, Gwen still managed to return Ethan to the hospital and throw Theresa in jail. The only salvation that came to her mind was knowing that Gwen had decided to continue Ethan's life support through Christmas-- it would be his last.

Now, after hours of sitting in a lonely cell, Theresa was out and free, alone to spend her final moments with Ethan as Gwen went to Midnight Mass. Ethan's eyes stared up into nothingness, blinking away nothing. "Ethan… I know you can hear me. You need to wake up. Please," she begged. "Gwen--she's gonna take you off life support if you don't." More tears spilled from her eyes. "I need you, Ethan. C'mon!" Her anger, rage, distress, and all other intense emotions swirled into one and yelled out. "Jane needs you… _Our _daughter, Ethan. Our little girl needs you. You _need_ to wake up. Please."

Her thumb traced circles on his hand. His skin was warm despite his inability to move. Her touch against his, while he was trapped inside, was still electric and she could feel the connection that always existed between them. The beeping continued against her ears, his chest was still moving to the motion of the respirator, and the sight of him cut into her heart.

So many thoughts consumed her mind. If only she hadn't poisoned the guacamole in attempts to kill Alistair. It was her fault. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that something like this could happen to Ethan by her hand. "I'm sorry… I'm _so _sorry, Ethan. I never meant to hurt you. If I could take it back, I would. I would do anything to save you. _Anything._" Ethan made no sound, but something wasn't going to let their connection die, and when Theresa realized it, she cried harder.

How could she?

"It's the only way," she whispered to herself. "God…," she started, lifting her crying eyes to the ceiling. "Please, God, don't let him die. He needs to live. It was my fault… and he shouldn't be hurt for it. Please, God, I swear, if you let him live, I'll give up. I have to…" Theresa's free hand went to his forehead. Her fingers grazed the brown hair at his hair line, the softness was still there. "You deserve to live." She moved closer to his face, brushing his cheek with her voice, uttering the words that weighed upon everything she knew to be true. "I love you, Ethan." Again she turned her eyes up and forced herself to swear above. "I swear it on everything--on my children--I'll give up my love for Ethan… if you just let him live…" Her hand continued to trace his hair. "My love for Ethan's life. Please, God! Let Ethan live! Give him his life back! Please!" She begged a being that didn't seem to hear her.

She stared at Ethan, his lifeless form lay still. She tried, she failed, and it was over. She turned her head down and let her tears consume her. He would die and she could do nothing about it. Everything she'd believed in, everything she'd dreamt of was in him, and now, he would be gone. How would she go on without him; the man of her dreams? It wasn't fair. Her cries grew louder, her grief devoured her and left nothing but a pained shell.

Nothing can be explained in tense of magic. Everything happens for a reason--she once used to believe--and it would be hope renewed for her that night. As Theresa pushed her body to make more tears for her to cry, forced her body to continue to weep and not give up hope, something happened. Nothing would ever be the same for her. The thought of her daughter growing up without a father was intensely heartbreaking and she had to know that this couldn't be real. She pushed any and all hope from her mind in an instant.

The touch, same as ever, brushed against her cheek first, then led up to her eye where it wiped tears from under her lashes. "Shh…," the voice consoled softly. Simple wonder kept her gaze down, the lack of faith filling her heart. "Theresa…"

She'd heard the voice and still couldn't believe that it was there. It couldn't have been. It wasn't right. It couldn't be possible. Forcing trick-filled images and hopes from her mind, Theresa lowered her head and tried to drown out any sounds that her mind was making her think she heard. That was when she realized that the hand she felt on her face was real, it was moving and touching, pulsating the same warmth into her soul that she was all too familiar with.

"Oh, my, God… Ethan!" No other words could come to her voice. Shock and disbelief surrounded her, but she knew it had to be real. Somehow, in the instants that she'd removed her stare from her his helpless face, he'd managed to remove the respirator; he was breathing on his own!

"Shh…," he said again.

More tears fell from her eyes in shock and happiness all at once. She couldn't believe what she was looking at. Ethan's hand went to her face, stroked along her cheek, and consoled her with his touch. For a long time, neither said anything. They both stared at each other, wondering against all odds. Theresa played every possibility in her mind: _Was it a hallucination? Was she dreaming? Stuffy air of the hospital finally getting to her? Did the annoying beep next to her finally drive her mad? _There were so many thoughts clouding her mind in that instant that she hadn't even realized that he sat up next to her. His other hand took the other side of her face and wiped away the tears that she'd cried, the tears that had fallen so heavy that they'd congregated in pools under her eyes.

"I--I don't… believe it…," Theresa stuttered. But how could she deny it? Everything was right again. The feeling she'd once believed in, flooded over her body in a fiery pace. Deftly, Ethan inched closer to her, his stare penetrating her body. His eyes spoke to her, the piercing blue crystallizing and invading her heart. She opened her mouth to say something, but there was nothing she could think of that would describe her emotion in that moment. Nothing at all. With a simple pull, Ethan's eyes still on her, he pulled her to him and their foreheads connected, the gesture tying them together, binding their souls, banding their hearts.

Everything about her, everything about that moment for him, was monumental in his eyes. To see again, to hear, to think, to wonder, to feel… Their faces close, their thoughts closer, he pulled his forehead to hers, wanting to feel her again. Gratefulness to her and to above, he closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

Everything around them was winter. They treaded through the unwalked snow as it continued to fall from the sky. Her hand on his back, she tried as best she could to support his weight on her. His legs hadn't been used in weeks and he'd almost forgotten how to use them. They walked slowly, careful to make sure Ethan wouldn't tumble into the snow.

"We're almost there," Theresa encouraged. She could see the large wooden door only yards ahead. Ethan trudged along, trying his best to keep with a normal pace. His excitement was peaking and he couldn't wait to get inside. "Okay," she said. They stopped at the door to St. Margaret Mary's and stared at the door left slightly ajar. They both heard the caroling songs of music from within and it filled them with warmth of the holiday.

Ethan smiled at her when he realized it was time. He could go in and embrace his friends and family, he could be with them. He took a moment to compose his jumping emotions, calm himself before doing anything further. With an encouraging nod from Theresa, he pulled the door open and peeked inside. Sure enough, he found his parents sitting together towards the back, Gwen was sitting in the middle with her mother and Sheridan and Chris. Everyone he'd known since he was a child was there. Pilar and Fox, Martin and Sheridan, Julian and Chad. He couldn't wait to get to them and hold them all.

He took one more look at Theresa and it seemed as if he were asking her permission, asking for something that she completely understood. "Go 'head," she smiled. After passing a lump in his throat, the cold and excited Ethan slowly began to step forward into the church. He took one step and realized that Theresa took a step back.

"Theresa?" he looked to her.

"Go," she pressed, a false smile hiding her inner emotion.

He wore a confused look on his face that soon contorted with worry. "Aren't you coming in?" His hand left the handle on the door and made and ushering gesture towards her.

"Umm…," she stuttered. "I--I don't think so."

"Why not?"

The cold around her began to turn her nose and ears pink with the wind. The falling snow was starting to bunch on her hair, flaking it with small crystals from the sky. "I uh… I should really get home," she lied.

"But, Theresa…"

"No, it's okay," she urged. "I really should get home to the kids."

"C'mon, Theresa. Just for a little while…?"

She seriously considered it. She considered so much since she'd seen look back at her for the first time in weeks. She couldn't deny anymore that she wanted to be with him more than ever. He was almost taken from her and she wouldn't let it happen again.

But she had to. It was the only way.

"I can't…" The look in her eyes when she spoke broke his heart. "Now, go on. You should get inside before you get too cold," her voice almost laughed out, hiding her real stirrings.

Theresa took a few more steps backwards, away from him when his voice stopped her. "Theresa, wait!" Letting go of the door completely, he rushed toward the fleeting woman that saved his life. Taking her hands in his, he begged her. "Please, just stay for a little while."

"I can't!" She turned away before he could see her cry. She wanted to run away, she wanted to scream, she wanted be anywhere but with him. It hurt too much.

"Why!" he demanded to know.

"Because!" she started. "I promised G--" she suddenly stopped herself. "I promised the kids that I would be with them for Christmas," she lied again. "I have to go…" She pulled her hands from his and tried to walk away again.

"Theresa!" he tried after her. The tears falling from her eyes were beginning to fall too fast for the cold temperature to freeze them against her skin. "Then I'll go with you!"

"No!" Theresa spun to him. "No, you have to go in there!" She pointed to the church and she immediately knew he saw the torture in her eyes. "You can't. Just go inside, Ethan. Please."

"Don't go," he begged, his eyes pleading with her.

"Go. You should be with your friends and family at Christmas, especially after what happened. Just go."

"But you are my family!" he yelled. He wanted her to see that he didn't want to be without her now, not after what he'd just been through. But without another word, she quickly turned from him before he had a chance to stop her.

His heart broke for her and he couldn't understand why she kept turning from him. He knew she was crying, he'd seen her tears, but he didn't know why. Nothing made sense to him anymore. "Theresa!" he called after her. She didn't stop her fast tread through the snow onward. Quickly moving forward, forgetting that his legs were almost useless to him at the moment, he almost ran toward her and pulled her arm.

The heat around them radiated from their bodies. He stared at her tear-stained face and looked deep into her eyes for answers that he needed. There was only thing that he found there. Pushing any other urges aside, anything that could change his mind, he discarded any doubt he had and went forward. Fighting against her own will, Theresa gave in and didn't push him away.

His lips on hers were warm and soft, his kiss was something she never thought she'd feel again. Nothing made sense anymore. She promised… She promised… and she was breaking it. Something inside of her told her that she shouldn't. She couldn't. It would be over if she did. But that was when she realized it.

It wasn't the grace of something above that saved him. It wasn't magic medication or a mere chance. It was the love that they shared that pulled him through. He fought because she believed he would. His lips crashed with hers, pulling her body to him, closer and closer. Their mouths begged and gave, pulled and pushed against each other, sure that they would die without the other. He felt her tongue against his and it melted any coldness around him.

It was over. It was Christmas. It was a miracle.

The End


End file.
